India’s research institutions ageing: IISc chief
India’s research institutions ageing: IISc chief
PTI
Bangalore: Majority of India’s scientific and research institutions are stagnant and on ‘life support systems´ due to lack of vigorous faculty recruitment and insufficient funding, a top scientist rues.
It is a matter of concern that many of them were collectively ageing, no longer being attractive for students, and India’s academic community needs to introspect looking for reasons for the slide, says Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Director Prof. P Balaram.
He said faculty recruitment are generally slow, mainly because of financial reasons. “Many universities (science and technology research institutions) are state universities. They do not have the money to meet increased salary budget.
Though institutions are kept alive they are far from healthy. He clarified that to a large extent in India, the academic community needs to introspect a great deal. “They should ask the question: are the institutions in which they are working attractive enough for students ? What is it that they are doing in order to make their institutions attractive?
India, Prof. Balaram said, needed institutions which were more student-centric with facilities, equipment and infrastructure that equip them to take on global competition.
“Many of our institutions tend to become top-heavy. They appear to be serving not so much for students but for management and administration. This question needs be asked of all institutions".
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